VZCZCXRO9598
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHMV #0154/01 0591024
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281024Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY MONROVIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9795
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MONROVIA 000154 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W 
DAKAR FOR APHIS FRENCH 
LAGOS FOR USDA ABDI 
USDA/FAS FOR JUDITH PHILLIPS 
USDA/FAS FOR RON VERDONK 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR EAID ECON ETRD LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIA: PESTS and AGOA: SPS STRUCTURE ESSENTIAL FOR 
AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The GOL is counting on agricultural exports, 
including timber projects, to jump-start the economic recovery.  In 
meetings with GOL officials, USDA and APHIS regional representatives 
made it clear that an effective and internationally recognized 
sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) system is an essential prerequisite 
for food or agriculture exports and an important safeguard for the 
domestic agricultural sector.  The visitors also met with private 
sector traders in agricultural products to learn of commercial 
constraints and obstacles, discussed with USAID counterparts ways to 
better coordinate complementary programs, and visited Liberia's 
veterinary lab.  Recovery of Liberia's agricultural sector and 
growth in exports depends on the creation of a robust sanitary and 
phytosanitary regime and rationalization of overall trade 
regulations.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Responding to a request made by Minister of Agriculture 
Christopher Toe, USDA Attache Ali Abdi, resident in Lagos, and APHIS 
Regional Director Assistant Dr. Cheryl French, based in Dakar, 
visited Monrovia the week of January 28 to discuss SPS and trade 
issues.  Dr. French received a solid overview of the state of the 
GOL's initiatives with regard to SPS and ways to coordinate with 
other partners, such as the FAO.  She encouraged Liberia to 
participate in international standards-setting organizations and 
regional bodies and suggested APHIS could provide quick assistance 
in compiling a pest list. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In addition to three meetings with the Ministry of 
Agriculture (with the Minister, the Deputy Minister for Planning, 
and technical experts), and with the Forestry Development Agency to 
sound them out on the state of SPS systems as Liberia resumes timber 
exports, the pair met with officials in the Ministry of Commerce 
Office of Foreign Trade and with representatives of the private 
sector who trade, or will potentially trade, in agricultural 
products and equipment.  Abdi was also able to meet with USDA's 
implementing agency Visions In Action and discuss with USAID 
counterparts and GOL officials ways in which USDA's food aid and 
monetization programs could be better integrated into complementary 
programs.  Dr. French visited the FAO lab and toured a large farm 
outside Monrovia. 
 
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE ON BOARD, BUT NEEDS HELP 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Ministry of Agriculture is engaged, from the top, on 
the need to establish SPS regulations and systems and then train and 
develop its staff in regulatory functions.  Agriculture Minister 
Christopher Toe noted that SPS legislation either does not exist or 
is decades out of date.  Dr. French stressed a priority should be 
determining the plant and animal disease status of Liberia, and 
offered APHIS assistance in developing a national pest list for 
Liberia.  She urged that Liberia take part in international, 
especially regional, SPS standards-setting bodies. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Deputy Minister for Planning James Logan noted his ministry 
has completed a comprehensive agricultural sector assessment, with 
draft recommendations for the top priorities for Liberia's poverty 
reduction strategy.  They are: 
 
¶A.  Inputs for the sector (he is very concerned), both traditional 
and non-traditional.  (Note:  The nature of the Deputy Minister's 
specific concern was not clear.  End note.) 
 
¶B.  Agriculture Ministry capacity-building:  they need statistics 
and a monitoring framework. 
 
¶C.  Capacity-building for farmer-based organizations. 
 
¶D.  Full exploitation of Liberia's abundant paddy rice production 
assets to produce rice for food self-sufficiency and for export. 
(Only 2% of possible sites are currently utilized.  He acknowledged 
there needs to be an environmental assessment.) 
 
¶E.  Post-harvest/value-added measures, such as upgrading rice 
threshers.  Logan explained the GOL should provide farm to market 
roads and regional storage locations so the private sector can do 
the rest. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Dr. French noted that APHIS receives a small fee from 
travelers entering the United States to cover some SPS 
implementation (agricultural quarantine inspection fees), and 
suggested the GOL could consider a similar program. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Ministry officials requested inspection equipment for 
 
MONROVIA 00000154  002 OF 003 
 
 
border posts and confirmed they have no plant protection bureau 
(just plant quarantine) and no agricultural research station.  They 
would like to establish four labs (one in each region of the 
country), receive international training, and receive help with 
veterinarian services.  As an initial step, they need to develop SPS 
structure and policy in coordination with other GOL agencies.  Dr. 
French agreed to provide copies of information on planning and 
staff.  She urged them to submit specific requests via the Embassy, 
but noted the importance of clear coordination to avoid duplication 
of effort with other donors.  APHIS plans to work closely with the 
FAO on establishing Liberia's SPS regime.   Abdi also informed the 
Deputy Minister of the upcoming Agricultural trade mission to Accra 
and invited the Ministry to propose candidates for the Cochrane 
Fellowships. 
 
Action items: 
------------- 
 
-- The Ministry of Agriculture will provide name and contact 
information for Liberia's SPS Inquiry Point. 
 
-- The Ministry will provide a copy of the national agricultural 
policy, currently in draft form, and Dr. French will provide APHIS's 
strategy. 
 
-- The Ministry will send a letter to the Embassy, for transmittal 
to APHIS, requesting assistance in establishing the pest list. 
 
-- Dr. French requested a skills list of Ministry employees to 
assist APHIS in targeting training opportunities.  USAID will 
provide three long-term technical advisors to support Ministry of 
Agriculture policy and institutional development.  Through this 
technical assistance program, SPS could be addressed. 
 
--  Dr. French will forward APHIS information on changes in SPS 
regulations. 
 
--  Abdi sought input from USAID and Minister Toe on suitable 
candidates' for USDA's Cochrane Fellowships. 
 
 
Forestry Development Agency: SPS and Timber Exports 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶8. (SBU) UN sanctions on Liberian timber were removed in 2006, which 
has opened the door to resumption of exports.  At the Forestry 
Development Agency, Dr. French explained to officials responsible 
for commercial forestry the urgency of establishing 
internationally-recognized SPS procedures as a prerequisite to 
exports and to protect Liberia's forest and agricultural resources. 
She agreed to provide them with information on ISPM 15 and CITES 
restrictions for imports to the United States.  Noting their close 
working relationship with U.S. Forest Service experts, the FDA 
officials welcomed any assistance the USG could provide in SPS 
issues. 
 
Ag Trade Remains Murky 
----------------------- 
¶9. (SBU) During meetings with Ministry of Commerce officials 
responsible for Foreign Trade it became clear that simplification of 
GOL trade procedures is essential.  Although GOL officials recognize 
the role of the Ministries of Agriculture and of Health in ensuring 
the safety of goods imported to or exported from Liberia, there 
remains an unacceptable level of discretion in the system. 
 
¶10. (SBU) The MCI officials showed us a booklet on trade regulations 
that is being revised but did not have available printed copies of 
existing regulations or procedures.  (Note:  In a conversation 
February 4, the Minister of Commerce told Econoff the booklet is 
being revised, will be re-issued soon, and that they plan to 
establish a web site that will include all trade-related 
information.  End note.) 
 
¶11. (SBU) The MCI officials further explained that although trade 
statistics for 2007 have been compiled, they have not yet been 
published.  The Director for Foreign Trade, while discussing food 
safety, made an off-hand comment that he was sure the GOL would have 
problems with GMOs, but clearly had very little understanding of 
what the term covered. 
 
Private Sector - not quite at full potential 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶12. (SBU) Abdi and French met potential importers and exporters over 
lunch to discuss the upcoming Agricultural Trade Mission to Accra 
 
MONROVIA 00000154  003 OF 003 
 
 
and general issues affecting trade in agricultural products. 
Liberian producers have not yet reached a level of quality where 
they can compete on the international market, but the meeting 
provided useful information on the measures, such as SPS standards, 
that will be necessary to export successfully. 
 
¶13. (SBU) The participants, who included farmers, members of farm 
cooperatives, and importers of grocery products, cited the 
increasing cost of imports, the difficulties caused by lack of 
direct air transport from most markets, and the inefficiencies of 
the GOL's pre-shipment inspection contractors.  Sample prices 
include $8 per kilo for hatching eggs from Holland, and $31 per bag 
for chicken feed.  Farmers cannot buy feed and other inputs on an 
as-needed basis, as they must be prepared for long delays (of at 
least three weeks) between ship arrivals.  The complex and arbitrary 
import regulations affect the agricultural sector as they do all 
others. 
 
¶14. (SBU) The lack of veterinarians was cited as an obstacle.  There 
are two in Liberia, both in Monrovia and neither of whom practices 
regularly.  One farmer has a vet in Ghana on contract, and e-mails 
photos of her distressed livestock for remote diagnosis, a procedure 
that is not helpful for urgent or serious problems.  The state-owned 
Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC) also hampers 
productivity and exports.  The LPMC sets a price (for cocoa, for 
example) for delivery at the port of Monrovia.  Given the high cost 
of transport within Liberia, farmers earn 5 Liberian dollars a kilo 
(about 10 cents U.S.) compared to US$70 a kilo in Guinea and Sierra 
Leone, which leads to smuggling of much of the crop.  We were told 
the GOL may allow one cocoa cooperative to export directly, as a 
pilot program, rather than being required to sell to LPMC.  It was 
clear that recovery of Liberia's agricultural sector depends on 
rationalization of overall trade regulations. 
 
USDA Food Aid Projects 
---------------------- 
¶15. (SBU) USDA Attache Abdi visited Visions in Action(VIA), for an 
orientation into their Liberia projects.  VIA uses funds from USDA 
Food for Education Program to conduct teacher training programs. 
(The representative for USDA's other partner, ACDI/VOCA, arrived 
after the conclusion of the visit.)  In discussion of USDA programs 
and implementing partners, Deputy Minister Logan acknowledged there 
could be better communication between them and the Ministry.  He 
noted the GOL is considering re-activating the Rice Commission to 
avoid import problems such as the one encountered by U.S.-donated 
rice last year. 
 
¶16. (SBU) Abdi met with USAID's Economic Growth and the Education 
officers during his visit, and confirmed USDA will provide 
resources, such as the Cochrane fellowships, in enhancing Mission 
Monrovia objectives.  USAID officials explained the problems that 
had arisen last year due to obtaining government clearance for the 
importation of rice.  Abdi committed to reminding both VIA and 
ACDI/VOCA of their obligation to coordinate with the Embassy and 
with the Ministries on proposed for rice imports and planned 
education programs. 
 
¶17. (SBU) Comment:  Liberia is counting on the agriculture and 
forestry sectors to provide early impetus to its economic recovery 
and Poverty Reduction Strategy.  However, an effective and 
internationally recognized SPS system is essential to permit exports 
and protect domestic industry.  The ministry of Agriculture will be 
the lead agency, but others, including the Ministry of Commerce, the 
Ministry of Health, and the Legislature, will have to be closely 
involved.  The USG is completing renovation of the building that 
will house a national lab (UNIDO is providing the equipment).  There 
is also an urgent need for training and capacity building, as well 
as exposure to the current state of SPS regulation and monitoring 
after a 14-year absence from the international standards 
community,. 
 
ROBINSON